Garlic Dal

Garlic Dal

Aromatic and full of strong garlic, this dal is a great comfort food, and easy to whip up too. SERVES 4 • 250g (9oz) chana dal (yellow dried split peas) • 8-10 garlic cloves, peeled and slightly crushed • 1 tsp cumin seeds • 1 tsp mustard seeds • 1 green chilli • ½ tsp turmeric powder • 1 pinch…
Cheesy Leeks On Toast

Cheesy Leeks On Toast

A variation of the classic ‘Cheese on Toast’, this green twist is filling and packed with flavour. SERVES 4 • 50g (2oz) butter • 3 medium leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced • 4 thick slices of sourdough • 100g (3.5oz) mature cheddar, grated • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a…
Mushroom & Cheese Tarts

Mushroom & Cheese Tarts

Growing your own mushrooms is easy. Try this delicious dish of flaky pastry and earthy mushrooms – it goes down well at dinner parties! SERVES 4 AS A STARTER • 10 mushrooms, sliced (any mushroom will do, but chestnut work well) • 1 packet of ready made puff pastry • 4 tbsp cream cheese • 2 tbs sour cream •…
Pea Sprout & Parsley Risotto

Pea Sprout & Parsley Risotto

Try this simple recipe using your own home-grown pea sprouts at any time of year! Pea sprouts – expensively available from the better supermarkets – are extremely easy to grow; just sow the seed thickly in a tray, put it on a sunny windowsill, keep it watered, and harvest the sprouts with scissors two weeks later. Cut them just above…

Cherry Blossom Ice Cream

There are few sights more cheering than the first blossom of Spring. Lucy Burton shares her tips for baking with these delicate flowers March brings with it the start of Spring, the end of Lent, and a glimmer of warmer days to come. Few sights herald the demise of winter more beautifully than pearly pink cherry blossom, which is in…
Leek, Broccoli & Blue Cheese Quiche

Leek, Broccoli & Blue Cheese Quiche

Although they’re a winter crop, leeks have a delicacy of flavour that suggests spring, especially when paired with purple sprouting… Serves 4 90g (3¼oz) plain flour 80g (3oz) butter 125g (4½oz) Shropshire Blue or similar cheese, finely diced 150g (5½oz) leeks, trimmed and sliced 50g (1¾oz) purple sprouting broccoli (prepared weight), trimmed and separated into small florets 1 clove garlic,…

The top 5 tastiest flowers (Yes! You can eat them!)

Flowers were first recorded as being used in food in 140 BC, many different cultures since incorporated them into everyday foods. 1. Calendula Calendula flower petals make a tasty addition to summer salads and stir-fries. Sow: March-May thinly direct into finely raked, moist, warm, weed free soil where the plants are to flower 13mm (½”) deep. As the seedlings develop,…
Crunch Baked Cauliflower

Crunch Baked Cauliflower

This recipe combines cauliflower, cheese and breadcrumbs to produce a crisp, juicy and mouthwatering dish, which serves 2 to 4 people. Ingredients… 450g (15oz) cauliflower florets Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese 4 tablespoons of other cheese (such as Cheddar, or a cheese of your choice) 5 tablespoons of dry breadcrumbs 2 teaspoons unsalted butter,…
Carrot & Coriander Soup

Carrot & Coriander Soup

A delicious soup combining all the goodness of carrot and coriander. Colourful too! INGREDIENTS FOR THE SOUP: 4 medium-sized carrots 2 potatoes 1 medium onion 1 large clove garlic 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 1 tablespoon chopped coriander 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1 vegetable stock cube Salt and pepper to taste FOR THE CROUTONS: 4 tablespoons of…
Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake

#Carrotcake Simple to make, yet worthy of a gold star, this carrot cake really is a winner in the afternoon tea department. Rich, moist and flavourful, it’s an all-round favourite. Serves 8 • 155ml (5½fl oz) sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing • 230g (8oz) self-raising flour • 1 tsp baking powder • 2 tsp ground cinnamon • 1 tsp…